Liberal backbencher slams Abbott's language on 'illegals'

THE Liberal backbencher Judi Moylan has urged the public to ''stand up'' to the ''rubbish rhetoric'' of her own leader over asylum seekers as well as the ''maladministration'' of the Labor Party.

Announcing a policy to save $1.3 billion over four years by reducing Australia's annual humanitarian intake of 20,000 by more than 6000, Mr Abbott insisted it was ''perfectly legitimate'' to use the term ''illegals'' in reference to asylum seekers arriving by boat.

"We just seem to spin rubbish rhetoric and get people whipped up over it" ... Judi Moylan. Photo: Andrew Meares

''I make no apologies for calling them what they are … they are arriving illegally,'' he said.

Asylum seekers offered bridging visas under Labor's policy should be forced to work for the proposed payment of $435 a fortnight (single rate) because they should ''not be able to enjoy life on Australian taxpayers' expense without giving something back to the community''.

Ms Moylan, who retires at the next election, railed at the language. ''We should not talk about queue jumpers, we should certainly not talk about illegals, we should not pretend these people are idle,'' she said. ''They want to work and be part of our society. We just seem to spin rubbish rhetoric and get people whipped up over it.

''I think this overblown rhetoric has to stop and it is up to the public to say it has to stop, because this is not a political game, it's people's lives we are talking about.

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''I think there is likely to be a backlash from the community, just like there was in the Howard years, when people realise what is going on, what we are doing to women and children.

''We can't think this will go away just with 'sloganeering', there is no quick slogan that can fix this, it is not about turning back boats, it is not about punishing people.''

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Mr Abbott agreed to support a 20,000-place intake during parliamentary negotiations in June. He also offered a 20,000-place intake in negotiations with the independent Andrew Wilkie after the 2010 election and Mr Wilkie was cynical about the latest reversal.

''It seems the 20,000 figure only suits the Opposition Leader when it's related to his own political self-interest,'' Mr Wilkie said.

But Ms Moylan was also scathing about the government's policy changes this week, when it was forced to admit the new Pacific solution was collapsing under the increasing numbers of boat arrivals and said it would release refugees into the community on bridging visas of up to five years, but would not let them work - in order to mirror the ''no advantage'' test applied to those still in offshore detention.

''It is a race to the bottom to see who can have the worst, most horrible policies,'' she said. ''The leaders in a position to fix this just seem to want to play politics with it and we have seen more maladministration and muddle-headedness,'' she said.

Some Labor backbenchers are worried the bridging visas could leave the asylum seekers in poverty. The West Australian Labor backbencher Melissa Parke said they should have the option of living and working in labour-shortage areas.

Ms Moylan and Russell Broadbent will vote against legislation to excise the whole of Australia from its migration zone next week, but it will pass with the support of Labor and the rest of the Coalition.

Mr Abbott consulted with his leadership group, but has not taken his policy announcements to his party room.